Goodness Gracious Me

Goodness Gracious Me is a BBC English language sketch show originally on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC TWO, based on four Indian-British actors: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. In the television version most of the "white" parts are played by Dave Lamb and Fiona Allen, while in the radio version the white parts were played by the cast themselves.

Related Topics:
BBC - English language - Sketch show - BBC Radio 4 - BBC TWO - India - British - Sanjeev Bhaskar - Kulvinder Ghir - Meera Syal - Nina Wadia - Dave Lamb - Fiona Allen

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The title and theme tune are based on a hit song from the 1960 film The Millionairess (in which Peter Sellers impersonated an Indian doctor and Sophia Loren his patient) the show's signature tune is a bhangra arrangement of the song. The show's original working title was "Peter Sellers is Dead", but was changed because the cast generally liked Peter Sellers (in spite of this bit of racial stereotyping).

Related Topics:
Theme tune - 1960 - The Millionairess - Peter Sellers - Sophia Loren - Bhangra

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Many of the sketches explore the conflict and integration between traditional Indian culture and modern British life. Some reverse the roles to view the British from an Indian perspective while others poke fun at Indian stereotypes.

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One of the more famous sketches features the cast "going out for an English" after a few beers. They mispronounce the waiters name, order the blandest thing from the menu (apart from one of them who opts for the safer option of a curry) and ask for 24 portions of chips. This parodies the often drunk English people "going out for an Indian", ordering chicken phall and too many papadums.

Related Topics:
Curry - Chips - Parodies - Phall - Papadum

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The cast casually drop Urdu and Punjabi slang phrases into their speech, in the manner of many Indians living in the UK.

Related Topics:
Urdu - Punjabi

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